bob_brown

During the day, between 9 am and 4 pm, what is the current experience with security line waits?

I read the website and see 2 hours. But that has been the figure for weeks.

I would like to hear from a recent traveler.

Rookie

Not that I can help you (my last trip was a few weeks ago) but are you looking at a week day or Sat. or Sun.?

bob_brown

I am looking at a work day. Wed, Thursday and Friday.

LoveItaly

Hi bob_brown, this was in April so may not apply in June but I was shocked how quick I got through security at Atlanta on a Friday at about 2:00pm. I had read that security lines were terrible too, but it sure was not my experience. But you can't count on that with summer travel of course.

rackensack

I average about 3.5 trips per month out of Hartsfield, almost exclusively on weekdays. In general, the wait times at security have been quite short for the last several months, with a couple of notable exceptions. As a general rule, you can expect the longest lines on Monday mornings from about 7:30 to 9:30; I would expect that the same is true of Friday afternoons from about 4:30 to 6:30, but I never fly out then, so I can't say from experience. Otherwise, I haven't had any weekday wait times that were in excess of 20-25 minutes. I have seen the security lines backed up through the tape mazes and back into the atrium on a couple of recent Monday mornings at around 6:30, and I suspect it got worse before it got better, but even then the lines moved quickly and I was never in danger of missing my flight. That wasn't the case last fall, when I twice missed Monday morning rush hour flights despite being at the airport over 1.5 hours early because of security lines. On those occasions, the lines stretched all the way through the atrium and out into the arrival lobby, back along the entire length of the hallway between the atrium and the baggage claim/ticketing area, and then most of the way through baggage claim almost to ticketing.

I did happen to arrive at Hartsfield early Saturday, May 21, at about 8 am, and saw lots of people sprinting through the concourse trying to catch flights. When I got out into the main terminal area, I found that the security lines were long, but far from the longest I'd seen. The check-in lines, however, were insane, at least in South Terminal at the Delta counters. They stretched all the way through the Delta counter area down to the end by the T Concourse, then back along the hallway between ticketing and the atrium almost to baggage claim. I realized later that the reason was probably that it was the Saturday after most of the metro Atlanta schools dismissed for the Summer, and lots of folks were apparently starting vacations, etc. Ordinarily, Saturday morning's not too bad, and certainly nothing like that.

In general, if I'm leaving during a weekday other than at morning rush hour, or if I'm leaving on Sunday night, I don't worry about being at the airport more than an hour before my flight. If I'm leaving on a Monday morning with a flight time before 7:30, or other weekdays during peak hours, I'll shoot for getting there as close to 1.5 hours before flight time as I can. If I have to fly out on a Monday morning between 7:30 and 9:30, I definitely try to be there 1.5 hours early at a bare minimum, more if possible. Of course, YMMV; weather and other factors may come into play, and some common sense is useful: if it's the Friday night or Saturday morning of a holiday weekend, expect longer lines.

mermaid_

My brother and his family visited from Atlanta over the Memorial Day weekend and found the website more than accurate, but that was for Saturday morning travel and it was a holiday weekend. My brother commented though that the lines moved very quickly and efficiently despite the huge crowds travelling.

starrsville

The real answer is - ya never know. The lines should not be that long for off peak times on a weekday, but...ya never know. I was shocked at extremely long lines midday one time and was told by a counter agent that two large conferences were ending at the same time and everyone was flying out at the same time. Atlanta is a convention city so... ya never know.

I'd use the website recommendations as a guide. Actually, since 9/11 I've allowed a 2 hour window and have started enjoying a Southern meal at Pascal's or a Presidente Margarita at Chili's before departure with any extra time I may have.

bob_brown

I am flying Delta, and the warning about the check=in lines is a point to which I will also pay close attention.

I hate to sit and wait 2 hours for my flight, but on the other hand, I cannot afford to miss it.

My flight leaves at 4:30, so that means getting to the airport at least by 2:30 to allow some margin.

I have no idea what the situation will be in a few days when school systems have finished for the academic year.

Thanks to all who have responded.

Last few trips I have flown out of Charlotte, or Athens. But US Air Express has cut the number of flights, and it has proven unreliable in recent months. It is either late or it doesn't fly at all.

KE1TH

This may be of no help because you're flying Delta which is in the South Terminal, but last month I flew American for the first time out of ATL. Next to the American counter in the North Terminal is an entrance to "Concourse T" that had no line at all. You basically walked up to the security personnel to be checked. Once you enter "T", you have access to the underground passageway to all the other concourses. If the main security area is really crowded, it may be worth a walk over to the North Terminal to see if there is a line at this entrance as well.

rackensack

If you absolutely can't afford to miss your flight, then you pretty much have to plan to arrive 2 hours ahead of time. That being said, I haven't had any problem making any off-peak flight so long as I was there at least an hour ahead of time. The lines can be long and somewhat disconcerting when you see them, but they do move surprisingly quickly; even when they stretch back into the atrium, it's rarely more than 10-15 minutes from the back of the line to the security checkpoint.